Fence machine



Dec. 17, 1940.

T. C. ALLEE FENCE MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1939 INVENTOR.

A T TORNE YS.

Dec. 17, 1940.

T. c. ALLEE 2,225,382

FENCE MACHINE Filed Jan. 27. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l\ 8 Zillmrzdfllleefi I V I N V EN TOR.

BY s,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fence machines, and moreparticularly to a portable device to be used for stretching eithersingle.

strand wire or different kinds and heights of wire fencing or fabric.

An object of my invention is toprovide a fence machine provided with aframe and av wheeled support, whereby the same may be transported to thelocation where the wire fencing is being stretched, and will be furtherprovided. with means for automatically re-rolling or winding up the oldwire which may have been removed from the fence posts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a wheeled fence machineincluding a post engaging head at its forward end and means adjacent therear end whereby the fence being positioned on the fence posts may bestretched taut, and the old wire, which has been removed from the posts,may be rolled up on a drum and removed from the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheeled fence machineincluding a body having a post engaging head at its forward end, fencestretching and post pulling' means intermediate of its ends, and meansat its rear end for holding the pulling means in position to withdraw apost from the ground.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved wire stretcherwhich will be highly efficient in operation and which will be quiteinexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of my application,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved fence machine;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view;

Figure 4 is a partial sectional View taken on transverse axle 3, whichin turn engages the wheels 4 at its opposite ends.

The forward end of the triangular frame or body I is provided with areinforced head 5 having a recess adapted to receive a fence post when'5 the wire stretcher is in operation. Mounted transversely of the bodyI and on the upper surface thereof, a short distance to the rear axle 3,are bearings 6 in which is disposed the transverse winding shaft 1. Thegear wheel 8 is fixed upon 10 the shaft 7 and cooperates with a wormgear 9 supported in a yoke bearing III loosely mounted upon the windingshaft I. Extending rearwardly from the worm gear 9, and formed eitherintegrally therewith or detachable therefrom, is a rearwardly extendingcrank II having a handle I2, whereby when said handle and crank arerotated, the worm will cause the gear wheel 8 an winding shaft I torotate.

A cable I3 is secured to shaft I and is adapted to be Wound thereonwhile the wire fencing is being stretched. In Figure 1 of the drawingsthe cable I3 is shown connected to a fence engaging clamp I I which isused when composite or mesh fencing is being stretched.

Atransverse shaft I5 is mounted on frame or body I of the wire stretcherto the rear of the transverse winding shaft I and is journaled inbearings IS. A flanged winding drum I1 is removably supported upon theshaft I5 and is adapted to receive old wire which has been taken fromfence posts while new wire is being installed.

As shown in Figure 3, the said shaft I5 extends laterally beyond theside of the frame or body I and supports a sprocket wheel I8 at itsouter end. A second sprocket wheel I9 is disposed upon the axle 3 of thewire stretcher, and the two sprocket wheels I8 and I9 are connected bymeans of a sprocket chain 20. Thus when the wire stretcher is pushedalong the ground the old wire, which has been removed from the fence,will be automatically wound upon the removable drum I'I. When the drumis completely filled with the wire, the same may be removed and a newdrum substituted therefor. 5

In Figure 6 0f the drawings, I have illustrated the cable I3 Wound onshaft 1 and extending rearwardly to a guide pulley 2|, and thencedownwardly to the lower portion of a fence post which is to be withdrawnfrom the ground. When the crank II is operated the shaft I will wind thecable I3 and cause it to pull upwardly on fence post 22 and withdraw itfrom the ground.

A supporting or bracing leg 23 will be hinged at 24 to the rear end ofthe body I, and when in) lowered position, will serve to support thewire stretcher in a position substantially parallel with the ground.When the wire stretcher is to be moved from place to place, the bracingleg 23 may be turned upwardly until it engages the under surface of therear of the body I, whereupon the hook 25 on the frame I may be engagedin the eye 26 on the lower end of the said bracing leg, thus holding theleg in inoperative position.

In operation the wire stretcher is moved to a position adjacent the postto which a stretched wire fence fabric is to be attached. The recessedreinforced head of the body is then placed in engagement with the fencepost, and the clamp I4 is secured to the end of the fencing 21. By thenturning the crank handle 12, the cable l3 will be wound or taken up andthe fencing will be stretched to the desired tension, after whichsuitable attaching means (not shown) may be used for fastening thefencing to the said post. When stretching a fence fabric it is desirableto use the clamp [4 because a single cable l3 can thus be extendedtherefrom along lines close to and parallel with the frame I.Consequently during the stretching operation, there is no tendency ofthe frame swinging upwardly about its point of contact with the postagainst which it is thrusting.

, Under some conditions it is desirable to pull or to pick up barbedwire. For this purpose the frame can be provided with spaced standards28 connected by bolts 29 on which rollers 30 are mounted. These serve tosupport and guide the wire while being pulled.

It will be obvious that I do not intend to limit myself to the specificconstruction illustrated in the drawings and described in thespecification,-

as many minor changes in. detail of construction may be resorted towithout departure from the spirit of the invention. For example insteadof driving shaft l5 from axle 3 and wheels 4, a crank operated by handcan be secured to shaft l5 for driving the drum 11.

What is claimed is:

l. A fence machine including a frame tapered toward one end and having apost-receiving recess in said end, a wheel supported axle connected toand extending transversely of the frame adjacent to the center of theframe, foldable means carried by the other end of the frame forengagement with the ground to support the frame along a linesubstantially parallel with the line of force exerted during a fencestretching operation, a winding element extending transversely of andclose to the frame between the axle and said foldable means, a clamp forengaging a fence fabric, and a flexible pulling. device extending fromthe clamp to the winding element along a line parallel with and close tothe top of the frame whereby a pulling force exerted through saidflexible element from the winding element to the clamp will be along aline close to and parallel with the line of force exerted through theframe and against an engaged fixed abutment or post in the notched endthereof.

2. A fence machine including a wheel supported frame tapered toward oneend and having a post-receiving recess in said end, means cooperatingwith the other end of the frame for engagement with the ground tosupport the frame along a line substantially parallel with the line offorce exerted during a fence stretching operation, a. winding elementextending transversely of and close to the frame between the endsthereof. a clamp for engaging a fence fabric, and a fiexibletpullingdevice extending from the clamp to the winding element along a lineparallel with and close to the top of the frame whereby a pulling forceexerted through said flexible element from the winding element to theclamp will be along aline close to and parallel with the line of forceexerted through the frame and against an, engaged post in the notchedend thereof, said'winding element including a shaft for receiving theflexible elementand winding it thereon, an operating shaft extendinglongitudinally of the frame and beyond that end thereof remote from therecessed end, and worm gearing on the shaft for transmitting motiontherebetween and for holding the first named shaft against freerotationin either direction.

TILLMAN C. ALLEE.

